George Hopkins, better known as "Hop" to his friends and marching Cadets, is the
current Director of our corps, as well as the longest serving (25 years and
still going strong). He joined the staff of the Cadets in 1979 as percussion
instructor and arranger, moving up to become Assistant Director under Dr. Santo;
and in 1983, following Dr. Santo's departure, George assumed full responsibility
as Director.

His arrival was fortuitous, because the Cadets were in crisis - lacking staff,
money, and members. The story of George's van trip to Mississippi and Louisiana
to recruit potential members is a Cadet legend. He began as Director in 1983
wondering if he would be able to field and/or finance a corps, and ended 1983
with the Cadets as DCI World Champions...the first eastern corps ever to hold
that title. He followed that with eight additional DCI World Championships, most
won with field programs that were, and still are, viewed as ground-breaking.

George's stewardship of the Cadets has been marked by organizational growth and
emphasis on the "Cadet-experience;" coupled with a realistic respect for
competitive achievement. The YEA "umbrella concept" can be credited solely to
George's design, effort, and execution. He views himself primarily as an
educator, and that finely-focused emphasis continually propels The Cadets into
new and unchartered territory.

A glance at his professional resume paints a picture of a man on a mission. His
journey as Director of The Cadets has been full of twists and turns; with the
promise of new ideas and new destinations always on the horizon. His
credentials, his experience, his talents, his imagination, and his intellect are
formidable.